Manual contour sander



May 15, 1962 B. E. FEENEY 3,034,257

MANUAL CONTOUR SANDER v Filed Nov. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-She et l Bartholomew E. Feene y 1N VEN TOR.

Mm BY May 15, 1962 s. E. FEENEY MANUAL CONTOUR SANDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1959 Bartholomew E. Feeney INVENTOR.

BY -Mzzq,

3,tl34,2d7 MANUAL QGNTQUR Bartholomew E. Feeney, ass Gian Drive, Glen Enrnie, Md. Fried Nov. 4-, 1959, Ser. No. 359,8? 1 tClairns. (til. El -187) This invention relates to a manually usable surface roughening, smoothing, polishing, shaping and conditioning device or implement featuring certain new and desirable improvements not found, it is submitted, in prior art sanders and polishers which have been devised and ofiered by others in this category of invention.

As will be hereinafter evident, the instant adaptation is regarded as unique in that it is not limited to flat surfaces nor to small-area contact with contoured surfaces but provides full surface-area treatment, whereby to speed up operational results. It difiers from generally analogous sanding and surface working and conditioning implements in that it is limited in use only by the width and depth of contoured abrasive backing blocks or forms and the character and configuration of the work surfaces they accommodatingly conform to. In this connection the manner in which the stock or body is made and the fact that the specially formed blocks (die-like inserts, shapers or forms) are removably cradled permits the use or interchangeable ones and offers practical solution of the varying surfacing problems usually encountered.

Another objective resides in the added fact that the invention herein under advisement is such in construction and design that it functions as a genuinely practical shaper for workpieces of many types. Also, its handle is such that it does not rely upon using ones fingers and hand in holding the abrasive strip in place during use. On the contrary the user is assured a reliable grip without cramping strain and muscular tension with the result that otherwise mean and difficult tasks can be undertaken without esitation or reluctance.

The gist of the invention has to do with a contour-type so-called sander which, briefly recited, comprises a novel stock or body of a size and shape that may be conveniently and comfortably held and aptly used with a single hand, said body having a side thereof provided with a handle, another side embodying a holder, a portion of said body between the handle and holder having a magazine provided with a slot, a supply of sandpaper coiled into roll form and available for use in said magazine, a free end of said sandpaper passing from the magazine outwardly and being threaded through said slot and then drawn tautly through guideways provided therefor on opposite side surfaces of the body and fastened in place thereon, a portion of said sandpaper also spanning said holder, tensioning and backing means in said holder, that portion of the sandpaper spanning said holder contacting and being tautly tensioned for sanding purposes over said backing means.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the stock or body is provided on opposed or opposite sides with channels serving as guideways for portions of the sandpaper or abrasive strip. Pointed pins are provided in the respective guideways and these pins are arranged to puncture or penetrate the sandpaper to assist in anchoring it. Because the pins are pointed, flaplike plates or equivalent members are hingedly mounted at corresponding ends of the guideways and these plates are such that they swing inwardly and cover pointed ends of the pins, whereby to thus function as safety guards.

Other objects, featurm and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Bfiddfid? Patented May 15, 19%.?

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a sander constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the same rigged or prepared for use.

FIG. 2 is a section on the vertical line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a section at right angles taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing all of the essential features with the strip of abrasive or sandpaper omitted.

P16. 5 is a perspective view of a sandpaper tensioning clip.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are views in perspective of modified insertable and removable blocks or forms.

Referring first to PEG. 4 it will be seen that the part called the body or stock is denoted generally by the numeral lift. This body may be constructed of any suitable material commonly employed in the art of hand tools and sanders. On one side (the bottom in FIG. 4) the body is fashioned into a head 12 having a substantially planar surface 14 which provides a satisfactory hand rest and thrust surface, This head is provided along opposite longitudinal edge portions with suitably turned and shaped flanges 16 which may be said to be overhanging flanges. These components, considered together, define a highly satisfactory handle or hand grip. The top of the body is provided with a concavity or recess which is substantially semi-circular in configuration as at 18 and this defines a receiver or cradle for an in ertable and removable backing, tensioning and supporting insert or block 29. This block is also referred to as a form and because of the manner in which it may be utilized it might even be referred to as a die. However, the terms block and form are conveniently utilized here and are believed to be aptly descriptive. In any event, this form is generally circular in cross-section and is of a cross-sectional size to permit it to be cradled in the cradling recess 18. It should be noted that the central or bottom portion of the recess has a fixed upstanding stud 2.2 which constitutes a keeper and which may be fitted (FIG. 2) into a selected one of the keeper sockets 24 provided therefor in the block. The block is also provided with equidistant circumferentially spaced lengthwise grooves conveniently referred to as 25, 26 and 2'7 which may be selectively used as seatsfor the auxiliary sandpaper backing and tensioning block 23. The block 23 has a generally cylindrical or circular body portion 3t and the bottom segment or sector thereof is fashioned into a shoe 32 which conformingly fits into a groove or seat 25 provided therefor in the manner illustrated. An assembling and retaining stud 3 assists in holding the auxiliary block in place and it is fitted into a socket provided therefor in the manner seen in FIG. 2. The shoulders 36 provide rests for the legs or limbs $8 of the U-shaped sandpaper retaining clip 40 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5).

That portion of the body between the cradle and the hand-grip is provided with a lengthwise open ended bore 42 which defines a magazine for the coiled or rolled abrasive media or sandpaper 44. An exit or slot opening 46 is provided on one side of the body and communicates somewhat tangentially with the bore and allows.

a free end portion of the sandpaper to be pulled out as shown in FIG. 2 and threaded through the slot and then throughthe opposed side channels or guideways 48 in a seemingly obvious manner. A portion of the sandpaper is thus permitted to span or pass over the form to be tensioned thereon in the manner shown. As before mentioned these channels or guideways are provided with outstanding pointed anchoring pins so which pene- V trate the paper and assist in holding it tautly in place.

Because of the danger of injuring ones hand or fingers by way of the pins, safety guards are provided. In each guideway there is a flap or plate of suitable shape and size which is denoted at 52 and which is hinged in place at'54 and this flap is provided on its inner surface 56 with pockets or sockets 58 to accommodate and telescopically receive the pins.

The conceptgas already touched upon, is such as to comprehend the adoption and use. not only of the main and auxiliary forms 2%} and 28 in FIG. 4 but other forms as well. Several of these are shown and one, denoted by the numeral 68 is seen in FIG. 6. This is an ob has also a plain or flat backing surface iii.

A fourth embodiment of the insert or form is seen 7 in FIG. 8 wherein the same is denoted by the numeral 7'2 and here again the body portion 7'4 is generally semicircular to fit into a selected one of the keying grooves 25, 26 and 27 in the aforementioned main backing form '20. The surface over which the sandpaper is to be stretched is shown as V-shaped in cross-section and is denoted at 76. The numeral 78 designates grooves to accommodate the limbs 38 of the aforementioned U- clip 4%) in a seemingly obvious manner.

In practice and as shown in the. drawings (FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive) the sandpaper is coiled into roll form and is stored in the bore or magazine 72. A free end of the paper is then drawn outwardly and threaded through the exit slot 46 and the paper is carried around through the guideways or channels 43 and fastened in place by the retaining pins 50. Assuming that. a single form 29 is being used and is cradled inplace in the cradling recess it will be evident that the paper would be strained or trained over the contoured or convex surface, say for example, the surface 21. possible inasmuch as a substantial portion of the block 2% protrudes beyond the recess or cradle and the block is held in place by way of the keeper stud 22 fitting into its selected socket 24. However, and as is usually the case, the main and auxiliary forms and blocks 2% and 23 are used in combination and one block is stacked on the other in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 to 3; inclusive. groove and keyed in place it will be evident that the intermediate portion of the sandpaper is of course trained over the contouring surface 39 of the block 28. In addition it is tensioned and pinned in place, as it were, with the clip '40.

As is evident the other forms or blocks shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 may be employed Whenever necessary or desired and the sandpaper will be positioned accordingly. Incidentally, the expression sandpaper is being used here in a broad sense in that polishing strip material may also be utilized. This is also true in the use of the expression sander inasmuch as the device or implement is also a hand polisher and in fact a shaper as already touched upon.

By providing a magazine and a surplus supply of sandpaper it will be evident that the surface of the paper which has become worn may be replaced by simply stretching a new surfacev over the anvil-like backing surface of the form orblock.

Because of the diversified use of the invention and the interchangeable inserts and forms it has been necessary to resort to alternative language in comprehending the overall concept and the distinctive sub-combination aspects. thereof.

In this case with the block 28 seated in its" The use of this surface is 1. A manually usable contour-type sander comprising a body of a size and shape that may be conveniently and comfortably held and aptly used with a single hand, said body having a side thereof provided with a handle, another side embodying a holder, a portion of said'body betweenthe handle and holder having a magazine provided with a slot, a supply of sandpaper coiled into roll form and available for use in said magazine, a free end of said sandpaper passing from the magazine outwardly and being threaded through said slot and then drawn tautly through channel-shaped guideways provided therefor in diametrically opposite side surfaces of the body and removably fastened in place in said guideways, a portion of said sandpaper also spanning said holder, and tensioning and backing means mounted removably in said holder, that portion of the sandpaper spanning said holder, contacting and being tautly tensioned for sanding purposes over said backing means.

2. The structuredefined in claim 1, and wherein said magazine comprises an open ended uncovered constantly viewable bore extending lengthwise through said body, said slot communicating with said bore is closed at both ends so as to prevent axial movement of the roll and free end of sandpaper.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said guideways are provided by way of open U-shaped channels formed in surface portions of the body, predetermined portions of said guideways having outstanding pointed pins providing anchoring prongs for the sandpaper channeled and passing thereover and penetrated by said pins.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, and wherein said body is provided withinthe U-shaped channels with hingedly mounted wing-like flaps movable into and out of the U-shaped channels and toward and from the pins and covering and serving as guards for the pins and consequently protectors for the users hands, said wings having recesses for receiving the pins.

5. A manually usable contour-type sander comprising a body of a size and shape that maybe conveniently and comfortably held and aptly used with a single hand, said body having a side thereof provided with a handle, a diametrically opposite side embodying a holder, a portion of said body between the handle and holder having an open ended bore providing a magazine, the latter having a communicable slot, a constantly visible supply of sandpaper coiled into roll form and available for use in said magazine, a free end of'said sandpaper passing rom the magazine outwardly and being threaded through said slot and then drawn tautly through guideways provided therefor on diametrically opposite side surfaces of the body and fastened in place thereon, a portion of said sand paper also spanning said holder, and selectively usable tensioning and backing means mounted removably in said holder, that portion of the sandpaper spanning said holder contacting and being tautly tensioned for sanding purposes over said backing means, said backing means comprising at least one insertable and removable main form of predetermined cross-section, selected portions of the surface thereof over which the sandpaper is stretched and firmly backed being of a given contour, said surface being also provided with spaced selectively usable grooves pro viding keying and holding seats, and an applicable and removable auxiliary form cooperable with a selectedone of said seats.

6. The structure defined inclaim 5, and wherein said selectively usable grooves provide keying and holding seats, and said applicable and removable auxiliary form smaller in cross-section than said main form cooper-able with one of said seats, said auxiliary form having diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves, said grooves receiving and retaining the legs of an attachable and detachable resilient U-clip.

7. A manually held and used sander comprising a rigid one piece stock having a semi-circular recess in one side thereof, backing means filling the recess, said recess having open ends and providing a cradle, the central bottom portion of said cradle having a fixed projecting stud providing a keeper, 2. diametrically opposite side of said rigid one piece stock having a head with a substantially flat portion serving as a palm rest for the users hand, and also having rigid overhanging flanges providing fingergrips,'opposite side surfaces of said rigid body having channels providing guideways for a strip of material, said channels having outstanding pins on which the strip material may be anchored to minimize slippage of the material.

8. A manually held and used sander comprising a rigid one piece stock having a semi-circular recess in one side thereof, backing means filling the recess, said recess having open ends and providing a cradle, the central bottom portion of said cradle having a fixed projecting stud providing a keeper, a diametrically opposite side of said rigid one piece stock having a head with a substantially fiat portion serving as a palm rest for the users hand, and also having rigid overhanging flanges providing fingergrips, opposite side surfaces of said rigid body having channels providing guideways for a strip of material, said channels having outstanding pins on which the strip material may be anchored to minimize slippage of the material, that portion of the stock between the recessed cradle and said head having an open ended bore defining a strip material magazine, said stock also having a slot at the juncture of one end of one of said channels affording 10. A manually held and used sander comprising a stock having a semi-circular recess in one side thereof,

said recess having open ends and providing a cradle, the

central bottom portion of said cradle having a fixed projecting stud providing a keeper, a diametrically opposite side of said stock having a head with a substantially fiat portion serving as a palm rest for the users hand, and also having overhanging flanges providing finger-grips, opposite side surfaces of said body having channels providing guideways for a strip of material, a block-like form seated rotatably andremovably in said cradle and having a surface thereof projecting beyond the recessed side and over which strip-material maybe tenioned for backing and support, said form having circumferentially spaced sockets for selective reception and retention of the keeper stud.

=11. The structure defined in claim 10, and wherein said form is circular in cross-section, the surface thereof having ci-rcumferentially spaced grooves providing seats,

and an auxiliary form occupying one of the seats.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

